Texas Rangers Blog

Ron Washington begs to differ with Bobby Valentine on Derek Jeter play

SURPRISE, Ariz. – For some reason, Boston manager Bobby Valentine on Monday decided to revisit the 2001 playoffs and suggested that Derek Jeter was out of position on his famous flip to home plate to tag out Oakland’s Jason Giambi.

On this point, Rangers manager Ron Washington, then the A’s third base coach, and Valentine agree.

On everything else: Not so much.

After the Red Sox were practicing cutoffs and relays, Valentine said that the Red Sox would never practice the kind of play Jeter made when he rushed across the infield to grab an errant throw from the outfield and flip against his body’s momentum to get Giambi at home.

“Derek was out of position,” Washington said Wednesday. “That’s why Derek Jeter is Derek Jeter. He was clearly not supposed to be there on that play, but he noticed that the ball was not going to be caught and that it was off line and he went to help. If Giambi slides there, he is safe. If Derek doesn’t go over there he is safe. Derek made that play. It was a very smart play.”